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Maybe the museum that gives the best the picture of what is art "à la française". Focused on the glorious time of Impressionists and artists from the XIXth century, the museum itself is a jewelry box for amazing art collections. Van gogh, Manet, Monet, Rodin, Degas, Lautrec, Courbet... So much to see in one place. A must do while in Paris.

Transport Info

The Musée d'Orsay is one of the most famous museums in Paris if not in the world. It is housed in the former Gare d'Orsay, an impressive Beaux-Arts railway station built between 1898 and 1900.

The museum holds mainly French art dating from 1848 to 1915, including paintings, sculptures, furniture, and photography. It houses the largest collection of impressionist and post-impressionist masterpieces in the world, by such painters such as Monet, Manet, Degas, Renoir, Cézanne, Seurat, Sisley, Gauguin and Van Gogh. Many of these works were held at the Galerie nationale du Jeu de Paume prior to the museum's opening in 1986.

In 1975, the Direction des Musées de France already considered installing a new museum in the train station, but the official decision was taken in 1977, on President Valéry Giscard d'Estaing's initiative. The building was classified a Historical Monument in 1978 and a civil commission was created to oversee the construction and organisation of the museum.

The museum opened in 1986. It was formed with the national collections coming mainly from three establishments: the Louvre museum, for the works of artists born after 1820 or coming to the fore during the Second Republic; the Musée du Jeu de Paume, which since 1947 had been devoted to Impressionism; the National Museum of Modern Art, which, when it moved in 1976 to the Centre Georges Pompidou, only kept works of artists born after 1870.

In 2009, the museum launches the museographic renovation of its Impressionist and Post-Impressionist galleries. A better display of artworks, larger exhibition areas and greater comfort for visitors. Haven't been there yet ? Don't miss it next time you're in Paris.